4 Wave Gliders Begin Their Autonomous Pacific Crossing Attempt

In 2009, an autonomous ocean glider bobbed and dipped its way across the Atlantic; now, reader cylonlover writes with word that "Four small autonomous aquatic robots have embarked on a 60,000-kilometer (37,000-mile) journey across the Pacific ocean. The Wave Gliders, built by California-based Liquid Robotics, left San Francisco last Thursday." Two of the robot craft are to head to Australia, the other two to Japan. According to the IEEE description, "Waves will power their propulsion systems and the sun will power the sensors that will be measuring things like water salinity, temperature, clarity, and oxygen content; collecting weather data, and gathering information on wave features and currents."

Re:Impressive

[d3ac0n]

Very impressive, considering that the diameter of the earth is only 12,750 KM.

Heh. Either they goofed up a decimal place somewhere, or these 'bots are following a very crooked path to their destination.